The Place for a Village

How nature has shaped the city of Melbourne

Gary Presland is an archaeologist and historian and the author of six works of non-fiction, including Aboriginal Melbourne: The lost lands of the Kulin people and the award-winning The Place for a Village. He will talk about the circumstances that led to the writing of these books and others, and the actual process of writing such works.

"All that is left of Batman's Hill is its name. As paintings from the 1840s show, a prominent hill did once exist not far from what is now Southern Cross station. However, the growth of the railway system in the mid-19thcentury led to the elimination of the hill on which Batman's homestead once stood. Other significant changes to the natural landscape of what is now Melbourne include the removal of two bends in the Yarra near the Botanic Gardens and the creation of two islands in the river. These are just a few examples of the "lost landscape" and vanished ecosystems that Gary Presland so eloquently reconstructs in this illuminating natural history of Melbourne at the time of European settlement. However, this is much more than an exploration of how man shaped the landscape. It also shows how the rocks, soil, water, weather, flora and fauna influenced the growth and shape of the city itself." (Fiona Capp, The Age, February 19 2009)

Entry: $5/ $2 concession

More info: (ph) 9662 3744, (email)